Nevada Becomes First State to Marijuana Testing of Prospective Employees

Nevada is the first state to ban pre-employment marijuana screening, KTNV reports.

Governor Steve Sisolak signed AB132 into law, making it illegal for any employer to reject job candidates if they test positive for marijuana. The law exempts applicants trying to become firefighters or EMTs, jobs that require the operation of a motor vehicle, and jobs with the federal government.

The law also allows employees who are required to undergo marijuana testing during the first 30 days of the job to pay for a second test.

The law will go into effect in January 2020.

“As our legal cannabis industry continues to flourish, it’s important to ensure that the door of economic opportunity remains open for all Nevadans,” Sisolak said in a statement. “That’s why I was proud to sign AB 132 into law, which contains common-sense exceptions for public safety and transportation professionals.”

The law comes after the state approved the sale of recreational marijuana in 2016.

Other states crack down on weed tests:

New York City became the first place to bar employers from screening applicants for marijuana.

The bill bars “New York City employers from requiring a prospective employee to submit to testing for the presence of any tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, in such prospective employee’s system as a condition of employment. Exceptions are provided for safety and security sensitive jobs, and those tied to a federal or state contract or grant.”

Maine’s Labor Department issued guidelines banning employers from discriminating against employees for marijuana usage but the state has not approved any laws about drug testing.

"Testing isn't a deterrent to using marijuana, it's an impediment to opportunity that dates back to the Reagan era — a war on drugs measure that's now a war on workers. We need to be creating more access points for employment, not less — and if prospective employers aren't testing for past alcohol usage, marijuana should be no different," New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams said after New York City passed its law in May.

 

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